or search YouTube for
Just as I am- Ball Brothers
“And they
remembered His words, and returned from the tomb and reported all these things
to the eleven and to all the rest. Now
they were Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James; also the
other women with them were telling these things to the apostles.
“And these
words appeared to them as nonsense, and they would not believe them. (But Peter
arose and ran to the tomb/ stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings
only, and he went away to his home, marvelling at that which had happened.)” Luke
24:8-12
It is difficult to imagine how Jesus’
disciples received the news from those women.
Only Peter (in Luke’s version) takes immediate action. He rushes to the tomb and only finds the linen
cloth. Afterward, however, he did not re-join
the disciples, but went home to think this through for himself.
Peter is a good example of being unworthy. Jesus had invested so much in all the
disciples. One betrayed Him, all ran
away; Peter, however, denied Him at His most vulnerable moment – three times.
When Peter returned home that day
to consider those empty grave clothes, he personally decided to accept God’s
perfect sacrifice rather than dwelling on his unworthiness. It is a good lesson for all of us.
He and the other disciples
illustrate four stages we all go through to believe:
1.
We hear the story of Jesus and think it is a bit of
a fairy tale -- impossible to believe.
2.
We become curious enough to investigate the facts
and typically feel puzzled about what we learn but ‘return home’ to sincerely
consider the information.
3.
The facts convince us. We pray earnestly to God for personal
understanding so we can believe in Jesus’ resurrection (“Yes, I believe. Help me in my unbelief.”)
4.
Finally, we bend our knee and commit ourselves
fully to the Saviour. We chose to devote
our lives to growing that understanding so we can serve Him.
Once the decision is made to
believe, the Holy Spirit comes into our life the journey begins. The desire to read and study His Word and
share the Good News with others grows! Like
with Peter and the other disciples, that is just the beginning.
Take care with love, especially
His! Your servant and friend in Christ,
who still prays for you each morning.
Darlene
PS: Please send me prayer updates. Find my statement of faith by clicking
or cut and paste this link into your Web browser: https://especiallyhislove.blogspot.com You can find the WeakDay Devotion online by
doing a Google search for “WeakDay Devotion.”
(Also, there is a “Google Blogger” App you can download to read them on
your phone.)
NEW
PRAYER REQUESTS
·
Jen D - My good friend who has been recovering from septicemia has begun to show symptoms again and is in much pain. Please pray for her to stay strong during this time and that she will be alright.
- Five Ways to Pray for the Christians in Sri Lanka: https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-bombs-on-easter-sunday - death toll - over 250 died, more than
500 injured Easter morning. ISIS has
claimed responsibility. Please
read the Desiring God link above to know how best to pray for this situation. Pray more earnestly for Christians who are increasingly
being attacked around the world for their choice to follow the risen Jesus
Christ.
·
Pray
for any new strangers in your church – Easter brings individuals into your local church that need a
warm and encouraging welcome. Please
pray for courage and love.
·
Earthquakes
in The Philippines - Isaias and Judith (Ambassadors for Christ in The Philippines)
– Isaias returned to home to be greeted by earthquakes and
flooding. Pray for him, his family and
their expanding ministry there. Pray for
his safety and travelling mercies. This ministry gives so much to so many for so little. To learn more: http://www.afciworld.org (Top of page: "Where
We Work” > “Asia-Pacific” > "Philippines").
·
USA
– that the Lord would demonstrate His power in an unexpected and uniting way
during these times of unrest and confusion.
Help hearts settle and rest in Him alone.
·
Sergio
– lost his job and now looking again. He
was recently diagnosed with adult-onset diabetes. Was living with his brother, but has been asked
to move out, leaving him homeless.
·
Toron – finishing
his high school studies and needing strength, focus and confidence, especially
with maths.
PRAY FOR THOSE IN FULL-TIME SERVICE
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